Alarm thwarts theft of gold statue

A man who broke through the roof of a Greek Orthodox Church failed to steal a $1 million gold statue of the patron saint of peace.

Police said the would-be thief broke through a hatch on the church roof, shimmied down a rope and smashed a glass case behind the altar. The case surrounds jewelry and the 3-foot-tall statue. He fled empty-handed after he triggered an alarm."It's very sad," Bishop Vikentios said of the break-in. "If you come here to see what they do, it's unbelievable."

The statue, the Weeping Icon of Saint Irene of Chrysovalantou, is believed to have shed tears during a service for peace after the start of the Persian Gulf War.